Cholestrol

How Cholesterol and Heart Attack are Related ?

According to an estimation, a million people every year get heart attack in the United States. 50 percent of them end up giving their lives. This makes heart diseases the number one cause of deaths in this country. This article tries to gain further insight on the relation between cholesterol and heart attack.

How Cholesterol and Heart Attack are Related ?

Heart is the pump which supplies oxygen rich blood to the entire body. It has two pathways along which blood flows into and out of heart. These pathways are arteries and veins. The used up blood reaches the heart through veins. It is made rich in oxygen and pumped back to the body through arteries. When the levels of cholesterol rise in the body, these pathways become narrow because of the accumulation of cell debris called plaque. As this state is ignored, the plaque hardens and narrows the tube-like pathways. This results in slowing down of the blood to and from the heart.

The cells and tissues in the body struggle to function properly with reduced supply of blood. Heart works harder to pump blood to the whole body. As it gets exhausted, chest pain (technically called Angina) starts. When the arteries and veins are completely blocked by the plaque, heart fails to function completely and this fatal condition is called heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association, people above the age of 20 should periodically check their cholesterol levels after every 5 years. It is because unfortunately, there are no symptoms of high cholesterol levels in the blood. Only a test called lipid profile test can reveal information about this fat in our body. Intake of fresh fruits and vegetables should replace junk foods. Smoking and drinking habits should be given up. Regular exercise or some form of physical activity should be the norm of daily life. In this way, threats associated with high cholesterol and heart attack can be reduced considerably.